There’s good news for all of us who have a bit of a soft spot for Queen Silvia of Sweden. The royal, who turns 75 next week, has promised she has no plans to retire.
The confirmation that we’ll be seeing a lot more of Silvia in the future came in an interview with Swedish media outlet TT ahead of her milestone birthday. Silvia says that as long as she is able to carry on working, that’s exactly what she’s going to do.
The queen also speaks about the determination she shares with her husband, King Carl XVI Gustaf, that their elder daughter and heir to the throne, Crown Princess Victoria, will enjoy as much time with her children as she can before taking on the role of head of state. Her delight in her grandchildren is evident as she describes them as ”the dessert of life”, a phrase she confides that she picked up from her own mother.
The responsibility of caring for the next generation extends beyond palace walls. During the interview, Silvia also talks about her concerns for young people across Sweden and in particular her worries over drug use and violence. She talks about changing attitudes to using drugs and the difficult balance in allowing young people to be themselves while protecting them as they find their way in the world.
Supporting young people has been a central part of Silvia’s royal life since she became Queen of Sweden on June 19th 1976 on her marriage to King Carl XVI Gustaf. She has worked with many organisations focused on helping children and teenagers, and in 1999 she set up the World Childhood Foundation which works to protect young people at risk around the globe. In the interview, she talks about how important those issues have been and continue to be to her and says that from the start of her royal life, she has wanted to help as many other people as she could.
But when it comes to addressing her own future, Queen Silvia is adamant that there is no change on the horizon. She says that the approach of her 75th birthday hasn’t really made her feel any different although she confesses age has brought more wisdom with it. But she adds that she will just keep on with the work that has brought her so much satisfaction.
The Queen of Sweden is 75 on December 23rd 2018.
